Enthused by the completion of Rs1,280 crore project of providing potable water and sanitation facilities before schedule, the World Bank has sanctioned another Rs2,200 crore project to Punjab in the same category. The World Bank’s sanction for another project came on the basis of completion of Rs1,280 crore project sanctioned earlier, which had been completed before six month of its schedule time, said the State Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra on Tuesday.
Rakhra, while presiding over a training workshop at Mahatma Gandhi State Public Administration Institute, said that this project will give impetus to the ongoing project of providing 100 per cent potable water and sanitation facilities. “World Bank has commended Punjab for its pro-active approach to accomplish Rs1,280 crore project awarded earlier. Now, the entire rural belts of State will get complete water supply and sanitation facilities,” he said.
The Minister informed that the Department’s next aim was to rejuvenate water supply schemes smashed due to the problem of water logging besides enhancing the capacity limit from 40 liter per capita to 70 liter vis-à-vis setting up of treatment system in villages besides sewerage system. Rakhra said that through domestic connections, 100 percent population would be covered under this mission. He also gave a call to the officers and officials of department to launch a sustained drive to make people aware about the schemes so they could take full advantage from schemes. At the same time, he advocated the need to launch a concerted drive to make aware the common masses about the ill-affects of impure water.